Scary Piano teachers?

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I recently used a video of a piano lesson in an ad and my sister commented on the fact I was ‘conducting’ with a pointer that I use for helping my pupils to find their place on the music. She said “You realize that you’re going to strike terror in the hearts of some people who are watching that”. I disagreed with her but since then I’ve heard a number of stories that have made me wonder.

How many children and teenagers had to suffer through painful, frightening lessons at the hands of “piano teachers from hell”? I recently talked to a 50 year old who remembers walking out of piano lessons with red hands from being “rapped on the knuckles” every time she made a mistake. I thought that my learning experiences were hard but I only suffered from a teacher who constantly sighed – large lung filling, confidence destroying sighs!

Thank goodness (as far as I know) those days are gone. My motto for my students is “Mistakes are OK - those who don’t make mistakes don’t make anything”. Making mistakes is how we learn, not only an instrument but how to grow in life. I wish I had learnt that lesson as a child!

I am extremely glad I kept going with the lessons but I sometimes wish it could have been a more enjoyable journey. LEARNING an instrument should be fun and rewarding, not just being able to play one.

I now have 3 pupils over 63 years of age and my main aim is that they will love the journey of learning to play music (at any age). Music should be fun and rewarding at any level of ability.

And mistakes? – They should be celebrated and learnt from in all areas of life and at any age!

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